Recovery after surgery

Surgery replaces or repairs the structure. Rehabilitation decides how well it works afterwards, and the difference between a good outcome and a disappointing one is very often what happened in the twelve weeks after the operation rather than anything that happened in theatre.

That is not a criticism of surgeons. It is how these operations are designed. A new knee does what the rehabilitation after it teaches it to do, and a repaired tendon holds because it was protected while it healed and then loaded properly afterwards.

More information

Which page do I need

Knee replacement recovery, hip replacement recovery, shoulder surgery recovery, which covers rotator cuff repair, stabilisation and shoulder replacement, and ACL reconstruction recovery, which is the longest programme of the four.

Bring your protocol to the first appointment

This matters more here than anywhere else on the site. Different operations have very different rules, and after a rotator cuff repair in particular there is a window during which the repaired tendon is healing to bone and must not be actively loaded, however good the shoulder feels. Working to the wrong protocol is the main avoidable risk in post-surgical rehabilitation.

So bring your operation note or your surgeon's rehabilitation protocol. Where you have one we work to it, and with your permission we will write to your surgeon and your GP so that everybody is aiming at the same milestones.

Come and see us before the operation if you can

Two reasons. The state of a joint going into surgery affects how it comes out, and for ACL reconstruction in particular, regaining movement and quadriceps strength beforehand is associated with better outcomes afterwards. And understanding what the rehabilitation will involve makes the first fortnight considerably less daunting than discovering it as you go.

Package prices

Because this work runs over a course of appointments rather than one or two, it is available as a package paid in advance. Four sessions are £240, eight are £460 and twelve are £670. Those work out cheaper than the same number of individual appointments, and they are for post-surgical rehabilitation.

When to contact your surgical team rather than us

A hot, red, increasingly painful joint with fever. Calf pain and swelling. A sudden loss of movement you previously had. Any of those needs same day contact with the people who operated on you.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How soon after my operation should I start physiotherapy?
Often within the first week or two, though it depends entirely on the operation and on what your surgeon has advised. If you can, get in touch before the operation, because understanding what the rehabilitation will involve makes the first fortnight considerably less daunting.
Do you work to my surgeon's protocol?
Yes. Where your consultant has issued a rehabilitation protocol we work to it rather than around it, and with your permission we will write to your surgeon and GP so that everybody is aiming at the same milestones.
What do the rehabilitation packages cost?
Four sessions are £240, eight are £460 and twelve are £670, paid in advance. They work out cheaper than the same number of individual appointments and are available for post-surgical rehabilitation.